This story was largely overlooked but the newest figures show that the number of young adults lacking medical coverage has shrunk by 2.5 million since the new health care overhaul law took effect.
That gain is 2½ times as large as the drop in the uninsured predicted by previous government and private estimates from earlier this year, which showed about 1 million Americans ages 19-25 would access coverage.
At the same time that Michigan tea partiers are trying to stop the Republican-led Legislature from establishing health care exchanges – online marketplaces where the uninsured will shop for coverage – most lawmakers in Lansing seemed to ignore the new stats from the Centers for Disease Control, or CDC.
The early success means an estimated 58,000 young Michiganders have access to health care because of the new law.
Under the health care overhaul, children can now remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until they turn 26, and families have flocked to sign up young adults making the transition to work in a challenging economic environment, according to the Associated Press
“The increase in coverage among 19- to 25-year-olds can be directly attributed to the Affordable Care Act’s new dependent coverage provision,” said a report from the Health and Human Services Department. “Initial gains from this policy have continued to grow as … students graduate from high school and college.”
The health care law’s main push to cover the uninsured – when the state exchanges are up and running — doesn’t come until 2014. But the young adults’ provision took effect last fall. Most workplace health plans started carrying it out Jan. 1.
Traditionally, young adults were more likely to be uninsured than any other age group.
Some are making the switch from school to work. Others are holding down low-wage jobs that don’t usually come with health care. And some — termed the “invincibles” — pass up job-based health insurance because they don’t think they’ll use it and would rather get extra money in their paychecks.
At the same time, one in six young adults has a chronic disease like cancer, diabetes or asthma. Studies show that nearly half of uninsured young adults reported problems paying their medical bills and others avoided regular care, like checkups or recommended screenings, due to cost.
Supporters of the new system point out that health care reform does more than just expand coverage. It also puts an end to insurance company restrictions such as imposing lifetime cap on coverage or canceling a policy when someone becomes seriously ill.
Under the reforms in the so-called “Obmacare” overhaul, millions of Americans now can get preventive care without co-pays. The next step in the process of implementing the law will make it illegal for insurance companies to refuse to cover someone with pre-existing conditions.
It's baffling how many people are opposed to the Affordable Care Act when it is, essentially, a free market system, using precepts such as personal responsibility supported a decade ago Republicans, to provide basic health insurance to millions at a time when the current system was crumbling.
I don't agree. Forcing policy holders and insurance companies to cover these "adults" is a bad thing. Make these adults fend for themselves.
I have been in the health care field for 31 years. Obamacare has some positives including preventive benefits and eliminating lifetime caps.
But even the CBO admits that rates will continue to increase and that the current mandate will force insurers to the sidelines. If you want Universal health care, then that's fine.
I receive about 40 emails from Canada each year. Not many, but more than 70% EVERY year indicate they would rather have the US system. Hmmm.